The Fear of Change: Is It the Wrong Choice, or the Right One?
Every change begins with a moment of awareness. A whisper inside that says: something needs to shift. But for many of us who grew up in survival mode, that whisper is quickly drowned out by fear.
Survival mode taught us that change is unsafe. That voicing our truth leads to rejection. That making choices for ourselves is selfish or dangerous. And so when our intuition begins to nudge us toward change, fear rushes in to shut it down.
But here’s what’s important: not all fear is the same.
The Fear of the Wrong Choice
This fear feels anxious, heavy, and tight in the chest. It’s the kind of fear that sends you running to everyone else for reassurance… Asking friends, family, mentors to weigh in, while avoiding the one voice that matters most: your own.
That comes from old conditioning. Maybe caregivers dismissed your needs. Maybe peers mocked your desires. Maybe you were punished for expressing your truth. Over time, that programming planted a seed of doubt: I can’t trust myself to choose well.
The result? You hesitate, second-guess, and outsource your decisions until your life feels like it’s shaped for everyone else but you.
The Fear of the Right Choice
But there’s another kind of fear, and it feels different. It’s quieter. More internal. It shows up when you know what you want, but the unknown feels big, and stepping into it feels risky.
This fear often carries a spark of excitement or hope. Beneath the nerves, you sense that the decision will bring alignment and honesty. This is the fear that arises when you’re finally listening to yourself, when you’re choosing a path that reflects your truth.
It’s still scary, but it’s the kind of scary that feels like growth.
Why Naming Your Fear Matters
When you can identify which kind of fear you’re experiencing, you begin to take back your power. Instead of living at the mercy of doubt, you can discern whether your resistance is an echo of past conditioning or a signal toward your authentic path.
💡 Reflection Prompt for Your Week: Think about a change you’ve been considering, particularly on the larger side. Write down the fears you feel around it. Do they sound like the anxious voices of doubt, or like the quieter pulls of your intuition?
Naming the difference is the first step toward moving through that fear and into an honest life.
Closing Thought
Fear doesn’t have to be the enemy. When it’s the anxious kind, it shows us where old wounds need healing. When it’s the quiet kind, it points us toward the life we’ve always wanted to live.
Learning to listen for the difference is how we begin to step out of survival mode and into authentic transformation.
If This Resonated
If this spoke to you on any level, you can dive deeper with me in the following ways:
Here’s to honoring the intuitive call 💫
All my love,
~ Austen 🫶🏼
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